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Search Opens for Sheridan's Eighth President and Vice Chancellor

January 29, 2018

In working with PhelpsGroup, a leading Canadian Executive Search firm with expertise in Higher Education and the Public Sector, Sheridan has formally opened the recruitment process to find its next President and Vice Chancellor.

PhelpsGroup was hired by Sheridan’s Board of Governors in 2017, as it is the Board of Governors to which the President and Vice Chancellor reports.

The process began last February when PhelpsGroup gathered the input of Sheridan employees through an anonymous, online survey. The survey asked about the qualities employees would like to see in their next leader, as well as their opinions on the core responsibilities associated with the role.

In April last year, separate focus groups were held for faculty, support staff, administration and students at Sheridan’s Brampton, Mississauga and Oakville Campuses. Through this mechanism, the information gathered through the survey was further refined. Prior to the summer break, additional 1:1 interviews were held with members of the Presidents Executive Council. Building on this input, the position profile was created and the key selection criteria were finalized.

“The President plays a critical in helping Sheridan fulfill its vision and mission and helping Sheridan to maintain the envious reputation for excellence we’ve built over the years,” said Bryan Dawson, Chair of the Board of Governors at Sheridan. “For that reason, it was essential that we took great care in determining the qualifications, experience, and competencies of our ideal candidate as well as the priorities for the role. We are delighted to now be at the point where we are ready to actively recruit.”

A search panel has been named to assist the Board of Governors in its important task. Members of the panel include representation from the Board, faculty, staff, Senate, and student body. For the full list of members, please visit the Presidential Search page. The panel will interview an initial list of candidates, which will then be shortlisted to a smaller group. Following this process, the panel will bring forward a recommendation to Sheridan’s Board of Governors of a preferred candidate.

“Our hope is that we will have our next President in place by September or October this year, prior to the departure of Dr. Mary Preece, whose term ends on December 31, 2018” adds Dawson. “We greatly appreciate the devotion shown by Dr. Mary Preece who delayed her retirement to become our current President and who is committed to helping transition our next President into the role. Sheridan continues to benefit greatly under her leadership. She will be a hard act to follow.”